Small batch BIAB questions

[stm]

***bottling sucks**** anyone got a good method.. because my method makes me want to bang my head on the floor.

What is your method? A few other threads on here discussing bottling.

My method is:
1. quick rinse of bottles in warm water, drain on bottle tree;
2. prepare starsan solution;
3. bottles back into crates;
4. squirt each bottle with starsan solution using the bottle squirter thingy, drain on bottle tree;
5. prepare caps and sugar, sanitise bottling wand and tube;
6. bottles back into crates;
7. use home brew sugar scoop and small funnel to prime each bottle;
8. attach bottling wand to plastic tube - you will need another short piece from an old bottling wand to connect the other end of the tube to the FV tap - connect to tap, turn on tap;
9. fill bottles by moving wand to each bottle (not bottles to tap);
10. cap with bench capper.

The squirter thingy, bottle priming with actual sugar scoop and funnel, wand on a tube and bench capper will make it a hell of a lot easier. Although many will disagree re bottle priming.

 

[Chookers]

my method would be the opposite of your method.. its just chaos.

But the idea of attaching the wand to the tubing and moving the wand and not the bottles is pure genius.. I will definitely be doing it that way from now on.. because that caused me a lot of frustration.. I bulk primed this time round (which I have never done before) I usually just use the carb drops. I used 100g dex for 10.5-11L of beer.. I got this number from the bulk priming calculator from this site.. so I'm hoping I haven't over or under carbed..

I still don't have a bench capper, all I got is the kind you hammer on.. I am determined to get a bench capper for the barley wine and an auto siphon.

 

[Nizmoose]

Just about to bottle this thing, I have had it in the fridge for two days with the gelatine solution suggested, its cleared a little bit. I just checked the S.G and even at the lower temp from the fridge my hydrometer is still reading 1020.. is this weird? I thought there was supposed to be a difference with temps? or is my hydrometer broken/faulty.

Tastes okay, perhaps a bit sweet but I have let others taste it and asked their opinion and no-one has said its sweet, so it might be just me looking for it.

I came out with around 10.7L of beer am bulk priming with 100g of Dex cooked up in 600ml of water.. is this okay? I got this measurement from the bulk priming calculator on this site.. I got 12 glass long necks 650ml and 6 PET bottles.

***bottling sucks**** anyone got a good method.. because my method makes me want to bang my head on the floor.

Re: the hydrometer yes the reading should change but if the temp swing isnt much it really wont change a lot, for example a 1.020SG sample at 20C will only read as 1.019 at just 10C so theres really not a lot of difference. Some of the higher temperatures is where you'll see 5 or 6 point swings.

 

[danestead]

my method would be the opposite of your method.. its just chaos.

But the idea of attaching the wand to the tubing and moving the wand and not the bottles is pure genius.. I will definitely be doing it that way from now on.. because that caused me a lot of frustration.. I bulk primed this time round (which I have never done before) I usually just use the carb drops. I used 100g dex for 10.5-11L of beer.. I got this number from the bulk priming calculator from this site.. so I'm hoping I haven't over or under carbed..

I still don't have a bench capper, all I got is the kind you hammer on.. I am determined to get a bench capper for the barley wine and an auto siphon.

Oh dude, those hammer on ones should be illegal. So dangerous.

I'd suggest asking someone local to kindly borrow their bench capper until you are able to buy one for yourself.

 

[antiphile]

Hi guys. Up until the last few months, I almost exclusively used PET bottles and worked out the proper level for carbonation for the styles I mainly do. However, since using glass, it seems many of them are over-carbed. Perhaps it's just me but has anyone else noticed this?

Damn! I've hijacked this thread. Please don't hesitate to delete this, mods, if you wish.

 

[Chookers]

Thanks Nizmoose, I guess the SG was right then, it had been 1020 for 3 days..must have been done fermenting, right?

I hope that's not going to be the case with me antiphile.. because that'll mean I have glass bombs.. :unsure:

Danestead, I am already buying one.. then I'll have no excuse. lol.. I've been looking at the swing tops but I don't know whats better crowns or swing tops.. but still I'm just going to get that damned bench capper.

on a separate note.. has anyone done BIAB barley wine..

fave BIAB recipes??

sorry just trying to get back on topic

 

[antiphile]

I'm sorry Chook, 'cos I haven't made a barleywine, but when I was doing BIAB I did have problems with high OG brews (certainly those bigger than 1.075 or 1.080). I still have difficulties with a 3V system getting much over 1.080 with a normal mash, but that may just be my system etc.

How high were you thinking of for your barleywine?

 

[danestead]

I'm sorry Chook, 'cos I haven't made a barleywine, but when I was doing BIAB I did have problems with high OG brews (certainly those bigger than 1.075 or 1.080). I still have difficulties with a 3V system getting much over 1.080 with a normal mash, but that may just be my system etc.

How high were you thinking of for your barleywine?

It would depend on if and how much sugar he used. On my 20L braumeister I did a 100% grain RIS and only got 14L into the fermenter however I also did a Belgian Tripel which had about 25% sugar and I got my normal 22L into the fermenter.

 

[Chookers]

antiphile, I would be aiming for around og1100 ideally.. I have another topic in the all grain forum on this.. but I would probably mash half the grain then drain and reheat the wort to mash the remainder in, as someone suggested.. mash for 90min at 61.1.

Fermenting at 17-19Degrees, would this be possible to maintain in a esky cooler?

 

[antiphile]

Ahhh. Yeah I can't see too many problems if you're doing iy as a reiterated mash. I've only a tiny bit of experience with them, but from what I've seen that should work out well.

 

[Nizmoose]

Thanks Nizmoose, I guess the SG was right then, it had been 1020 for 3 days..must have been done fermenting, right?

I hope that's not going to be the case with me antiphile.. because that'll mean I have glass bombs.. :unsure:

Danestead, I am already buying one.. then I'll have no excuse. lol.. I've been looking at the swing tops but I don't know whats better crowns or swing tops.. but still I'm just going to get that damned bench capper.

on a separate note.. has anyone done BIAB barley wine..

fave BIAB recipes??

sorry just trying to get back on topic

Swing tops are pretty great, definitely easier but the downside is they're usually green (assuming grolsch) meaning hops dont love them as much as brown glass. But damn they're easy to fill and seal.

 

[Chookers]

Nizmoose would you recommend them over plain old crown seals?.. Ive seen the brown swing tops for sale in the homebrewing shops.

 

[wynnum1]

bench capper the one i have looks like its home made the hand capper could be converted to a bench capper or put into a drill press.

 

[stewy]

Thanks Nizmoose, I guess the SG was right then, it had been 1020 for 3 days..must have been done fermenting, right?

I hope that's not going to be the case with me antiphile.. because that'll mean I have glass bombs.. :unsure:

Danestead, I am already buying one.. then I'll have no excuse. lol.. I've been looking at the swing tops but I don't know whats better crowns or swing tops.. but still I'm just going to get that damned bench capper.

on a separate note.. has anyone done BIAB barley wine..

fave BIAB recipes??

sorry just trying to get back on topic

What yeast did you use & what was the ferment temp schedule?
1020 seems too high. If you were using an English ale yeast they can stall at 1020 & sometimes need awakening.
I would be very wary of bottle bombs.
I regularly mash at 67-68C & it might affect FG by 1 or 2 points max... Definitely not finishing at 1020 unless you started at 1070+

 

[Chookers]

Stewy

I mashed at 67 for 90mins, drained the bag, then put it in 5.6L that had been heated to 74 mixed it around abit and drained bag again. put all the liquid together and did an 80 min boil (I just checked my notes).. I think I boiled it too much. I had 10L at 1060 but I added some boiled water and got my OG to 1054. It got down to 1020 FG I checked it 3 days in a row and after having in the fridge for 3 days it was still 1020. So I bulk primed and bottled it.

 

[stewy]

Hey Chookets

That is only 62% apparent attenuation - very low.

What yeast did you use?

If you bottled in glass I would make sure their boxed up & in a safe place...

 

[Chookers]

Stewy, yes they are safe and sound in cardboard boxes inside plastic shopping bags...

I have a few bottled in PET, so I can feel them.. if they are still good in 2 weeks I will put them (as many as I can) in the fridge.

I used the yeast that comes with the coopers pale ale kit (I know its not ideal), it was not what I had planned my US05 had died and I just used what I had at the time.

do you foresee explosions in my future.

I just read my last comment... I meant I checked the SG(1020) 3 days in a row (not in the fridge), then I put it in the fridge for three days, and then checked the SG again and still it was 1020.. so total days past was really 6 days.

 

[stewy]

Hoping no bombs for you.

In future, only bottle when FG is steady for 3 days provided it's in the attenuation range of the yeast. If you get 1.020, give the fermenter a gentle swirl a couple of times a day for a few days, raise temp & check again.
I use mostly Wyeast 1968 & have had it stall at 1020. I actually stirred with a sanitised spoon & chekce 3 days later - 1012.

Get em in the fridge as soon as the PET bottles are very firm to the squeeze

 

[Chookers]

I will put them in the fridge.. will it stop the bomb?

Will have to drink them quick.. too

 

[stewy]

Use the PET bottles as your guide. As soon as they are rock hard to squeeze I would throw them all into the fridge at coldest setting. This will put the yeast to sleep & stop them eating.
Just to be on the safe side, wear sunglasses when handling the glass bottles. Blokes around here have copped bombs to the face. Not pretty!